Sunday, 31 January 2010

I had to catch the neck lining to the chemise so that it wouldn't move and wouldn't be visible from the right side at the same time.

I used a herringbone stitch. I pin the whole lining on the chemise's wrong side. I bend the edge at where I'd like the line of the stitches to be. Every time I make one little stitch at the chemise, I only catch one thread, and the other at the lining in the fold.

The last thing to do is the fastening at the neck. Button and a loop. I sewed the button on the left side. I attached two cords in their halves to the right side and handwoven the loop. You just take two cords to the left hand, two to the right. Twist each pair counterclockwise, then take the middle two cords and turn this pair clockwise. Repeat until loop.The fastening. I used a shell button.

Saturday, 30 January 2010

As the neckline was quite narrow, I had to make a slit. I copied the shape of the neckline and added twice the width of one welt and prolonged the lining in the center front to a bit more than the future split.

I ironed a fusible interfacing around the slit. Then I sewed the prepared lining in the desired distance from the slit (right sides together).I made a small Y-shaped cut at the end of the slit, it must end up exactly at the last stitches (and not damage them!).I turned the welts over and I turned the little triangle inside. I basted the end of the split together..

..down to the end.I sewed the little triangle at its base. It's important to sew as close to the split as possible, other way you can have holes in the corners of the spilt. The triangle has been sewn to the seam allowances of the welts.Having the neckline prepared, I put the collar as it should finally lay on it and the neck lining on it right side down.

Basted a cm from the neckline.I sewed along the basting, cut the seam allowance to half a cm and made small cuts at the curves.

Friday, 29 January 2010

I made a pattern for the collar to this chemise. In fact I made about four of them. This one fitted the best. I basted it in the neckline, arranged the lace on a half of it and marked the outline according to it.According to the pattern I got, I cut two collars, the lower was cut on the bias and sewed from two halves, the upper was cut normally and had fusible interfacing ironed on.I folded the seam allowance in and ironed. That wasn't necessary at the lower collar..You already know the principals of pinning in quarters:-)Each arch was divided in thirds, I drew them on the collar with chalk.I sewed the pleats with a sewing thread instead of the basting one, I'll let those stitches there inside the collar.The lace has been carefully ironed.I had to make the corners in the lace. I sewed them diagonally....cut the allowance and pressed flat....zig-zag stitched and draged the threads under the stitches.I finished the whole lace. I turned it inside and put the lower collar on the upper one (right sides together). I sewed in the seamline, except for the corners, then I turned it over and sewed the corners in hand.I cut the lower collar in the neckline edge a bit more than the upper one was.That made the final shape of the collar, it shouldn't be flat. I arranged the neckline edges to the same level and sewed them together so that the stitches would stay in the seam allowance.

Monday, 25 January 2010

I sewed the flags in the middle. I had to baste them carefully and I used a walking foot. I ironed the seam and I also folded the lower edge near the seam up.Sometimes, I'm really desperate about velvet. I basted the three free sides of the square. I often made a backstitch to hold the fabric more tightly in place.I used my walking foot again. You can see that I stitched near the line I made before when sewing fringe on.And when I finished? I moved half a cm. If you had any advice on how to sew with velvet, I'd be pleased to hear.I'll try to finish this piece as if it was sewn OK and see what it will turn into. I'm considering sewing the next flag in hand :¨-(

Saturday, 16 January 2010

The last thing to be done - the lacing. I used dark metal grommets and an ordinary cotton cord. I neatened the ends as at the fire skirt, so that they could easily go through the grommets.Now she can take the dress home:-) It can be worn like this or with the sleeves rolled up, but we agreed that this way is better due to the colour of the petticoat.Suits her :)

Monday, 11 January 2010

Some more pictures from the embroidery. Here you can see how I join the curves. I learned to make a peak - I hold the fabric with only one hand while the other's turning the stitch width wheel slowly down to zero. Then it's easy to cover this end with another line.I also try to keep the order of layers - the last to be embroidered at every lilly is the center. It's the uppest layer and just before doing it, I cut all the threads and the last line of stitches will hide them.Now, I have the two parts of the flag prepared. This was the easier work:-)I bought red fringe, sewed it on one of the parts, on the right side, facing inside. I didn't sew to the corners, a cm before them I sewed in 45° angle.Completing the flag is what I'm not looking forward to:-/

Sunday, 10 January 2010

Can you remember the old chemiseproject? I laid it aside because I cut the neckline too much at the back. Now I set up a UFO box (for those who don't know UFO = unfinished object) and I found energy to fix it.I sewed in a new saddle. That means doing all the gathering and pleating again.Before sewing the knife pleats, I basted them to be neat and even.I decided to use elastic ribbon for fastening the sleeves. I didn't want to use buttons, this chemise is for a fighter and getting hit over the button.. Ai ai:-)Probably, I'm just paranoid.I made a tunnel for the band. I cut a strip and pressed its sides in. I pinned the quarters of the sleeve to the quarters of the strip and divided these distances once more.I took the excess fabric like this to find out how much fabric I have for the pleats, I divided this length by the number of the pleats. In the end, each one was about half a cm wide.I basted all of them for sewing and easy ironing as well. I just commiserate with the one who will have to wash the chemise and iron all the pleats with no basting on them :-DNow I could sew the strip on.I ironed the pleats and the lace - at the lace at full length, at the other side for about three centimeters from the strip.I put the elastic band in. I pinned it near the ends.Now I could sew the side and sleeve seams at once.I carefully cut new neckline and tried the chemise on:-)

Sunday, 3 January 2010

Four velvet double-sided standards, what a terrible work they made out for me! :-)As the first one, I decided to make the one with French lillies. The smallest and easiest shapes to get the skill.I cut them in two layers, drawing the shape roughly around the pattern.I ironed vlieselin on, then put one more with the glue facing up, drew the lilly on it and sewed the upper vlieselin to the rest in the marked lines.Then I cut the shape two milimeters from the stitches and I could iron it on the flag.What would you think I managed to? Yes, I sewed one piece of vlieselin with the glue facing in:-DFortunately, I managed to tear it off, pinn another one on and sew over the stitches. In the end, it wasn't even noticeable.Flags, such a boring project, nothing to show.. So you may at least laugh seeing the little light dot on the red lilly. I was laughing as well, when I saw I had ironed the lilly on the flag with a pin left between:-)

Saturday, 2 January 2010

The last thing to sew - the neckline and sleeves. They had to be finished in hand.I pinned them roughly together and used overcast stitch.First, I planned to take invisible back stitch, but I found out this one's actually invisible from the sides if I take as little of the fabric as possible.And it's so easy to sew! <3So now the dress is waiting only for the lacing.I'm impatient to see it on the future owner!